New buildings or expansive grounds/outdoor spaces? Aerial footage can add value to your school film.

Filming from helicopters or planes is probably not in most schools’ budgets. Thankfully, drone technology has made aerial footage a viable option for school promo films. If you have new buildings, expansive grounds or beautiful outdoor spaces, it can add real value to your school film.

From the emotional impact to the storytelling potential, here’s why you should consider it:

Unique perspectives.

We live in a world of pictures. From Google Street View to the 1,436,300,000,000 snaps we’re set to take this year, there’s barely a part of the country that hasn’t been photographed already. Is there anything we haven’t seen yet?

Aerial footage stands out because it’s still relatively unusual. It offers perspectives that few of us are able to enjoy. You could walk past the school gates every day and still be surprised and interested by a bird’s eye view.

There’s a physical reason why we enjoy unusual views, too. Our brains are wired in favour of novelty; the prefrontal cortex has a novelty bias. Seeing new things causes a burst of endogenous opioids, which makes us feel good. In other words, it’s pure brain candy.

Capturing your audience’s attention is one of the first steps on the journey to enrolment. Creating memorable moments that fix your school in parents’ minds is another. Featuring aerial footage of your school on your website homepage or school promo video can make it happen.

“Aerial footage stands out because it’s still relatively unusual. It offers perspectives that few of us are able to enjoy. You could walk past the school gates every day and still be surprised and interested by a bird’s eye view.”

Scarcity value.

There’s a second human bias that makes aerial footage valuable: scarcity. We unconsciously put a higher value on things that are rare and less value on things that are abundant.

Since aerial footage is less common than other forms of film, that makes it more impressive in the minds of your audience. It also demonstrates that your school has another valued asset: space.

It could be green fields or a serene countryside setting. A campus of buildings full of interesting learning opportunities or enticing sports fields. The school environment is important to parents. Aerial footage lets you show the extent of the school grounds and of what you have to offer.

Emotional impact.

Aerial filming creates emotional impact. In classical cinema, it’s often used in ‘establishing shots’. (Plus of course, landscape shots and action sequences.) Simply put, it establishes context in terms of setting and relationships.

Imagine a short clip of an English lesson. You could show the enthusiasm and engagement of the students. But classrooms aren’t always visually exciting. If you frame this clip with an establishing shot – from the school grounds to the building to the room – you have more potential for storytelling and building impact.

The outcome? A great impression and a memorable introduction. Parents and students watching your school film should be able to picture life at your school.

Versatile footage.

A drone flight takes around ten minutes, but this footage has many uses. From your school promo video to a video background on your website. Social media posts to aerial photography.

If you have a large campus, you could label buildings in a 360° aerial photo to help visitors get around. For more ideas or some brainstorming, please give us a shout. We’re always happy to talk.

Final thoughts.

Drone pilots in the UK must be licensed and insured. Even though drones are selling to hobbyists fast, this is why amateur footage isn’t a viable option. Professional aerial footage is essential to meet quality and safety standards – for the school and the crew.

If you want to create an engaging school film that works for you, please get in touch. At Blue Apple Education, we can offer support with all aspects of film-making, from the initial plan through to the final edit. Including aerial filming.